Pope Francis has taken the unprecedented step of setting up a Vatican-based tribunal to judge bishops accused of covering up child abuse by paedophile priests.
The initiative follows a recommendation from the Pope’s newly created panel on clerical sex abuse.
Pope creates tribunal for bishops in sex-abuse cases (http://t.co/Pr5RRHdJTQ) http://t.co/w3SwzRa2TF pic.twitter.com/r3yEAxU8lB— 1001portails US (@1001ptUS) June 10, 2015
Bishops may also be punished for failing to prevent sexual abuse of minors according to Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi:
“The thing that is new is that a specific procedure is now indicated for these questions that may have to do with a bishop’s abuse of office.This certainly was not in place before, an ordinary and clear path, this is the real new aspect.”
To be more specific, the new department will come under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s doctrinal arm, “ to judge bishops with regard to cr
